Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 124, No. 1, Ed. 1 Sunday, January 1, 2006 Page: 4 of 30
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PAGE 4A - POLK COUNTY ENTERPRISE, SUNDAY, JANUARY 1,2006
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EDITORIAL
THE POLK COUNTY ENTERPRISE
Exchange reimburse^!
J State Capital Highlights
New laws address open government, Internet
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By ED STERLING
Texas Press Association
AUSTIN — Most of the new
taws passed by the Texas Legisla-
ture last session went into effect
Sept. 1, but a dozen or so will take
effect Jan. 1.
Two of those new laws stand out
because of their educational and
civic nature.
The first — written and carried
through the legislative process as
S.B. 286 by Sen. Jeff Wentworth,
R-San Antonio — requires local,
regional and statewide elected and
appointed office holders, and cer-
tain others who handle citizen re-
quests for public information, to
take at least two hours of open
government training.
Officials in office before Jan. 1
will have one year to complete the
required training. Officials who are
elected or appointed after Jan. 1
will have only 90 days to complete
the required training, according to
Attorney General Greg Abbott.
The training consists of a one-
hour course on the Texas Open
Meetings Act and a one-hour
course on the Texas Public Infor-
mation Act.
Public access to the training vid-
eos is available online at
www.oag.state.tx.us.
Internet posting requirement
Also effective Jan. 1, a new law
will heighten public awareness of
and access to the political process
via the Internet.
S.B. 1133 by Juan “Chuy”
Hinojosa, D-McAllen, requires
governmental bodies to post notice
of open meetings on their official
Web sites (if they have one).
The law also requires the posting
of a complete meeting agenda,
along with the meeting notice.
Governmental bodies that must
comply include: '
• Economic development corpo-
rations;
• Municipalities;
• Counties;
• School districts; and
■ Junior colleges or junior college
districts.
In 2005 and previous years, gov-
ernmental bodies were required to
post notices of their open meetings
in a place convenient to the public,
which was interpreted as attaching
a sheet of paper to a bulletin board,
an office window or a courthouse
door. Now the Internet must be
considered “a place convenient to
the public.”
High-speed Internet to spread
Many more Texans will become
much more aware of the Legisla-
ture’s successful effort to deregu-
late the communications industry in
2005 with the advent of broadband
over powerlines, or simply, “BPL”
in 2006.
Energy company TXU and
CURRENT Communications an-
nounced plans to make “broad-
band" available to some 2 million
residents and businesses in or near
the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
For voice, video and high-speed
Internet access via existing power-
lines, subscribers will use a special
adapter that plugs into a standard
electrical outlet. Transmission
speeds are said to be much faster
than through fiber optics cable.
BPL is expected to compete with
other industries offering a conduit
for communications, news and en-
tertainment.
TXU Electric Delivery and
CURRENT expect to begin deploy-
ing the BPL network in the coming
year.
Tobacco pact aimed at kids
Filling station/convenience stores
operating in Texas under the
Conoco, Phillips 66 and “76”
trademarks must work harder to
stop young Texans who try to pur-
chase cigarettes and other tobacco
products.
ConocoPhillips reached a court
agreement with Texas and 39 other
states to stop marketing and selling
tobacco products and paraphernalia
to minors.
Among requirements detailed in
the agreement are employee train-
ing, compliance checks, warning
signs and the adoption of methods
to prevent the use of fake identifi-
cation cards.
Attorney General Abbott has
worked Texas into similar agree-
ments with 7-Eleven. Wal-Mart,
BP Amoco, Walgreens and Exxon
Mobil.
UT loses bid to run Los Alamos
The University of Texas at Aus-
tin and Lockheed submitted a bid to
take over as operator of the Na-
tional Nuclear Laboratory in the
mountains of New Mexico, but lost
Dec. 21 to the University of Cali-
fornia and Bechtel National Inc.
The contract was worth an esti-
mated $2 billion a year for seven
years, with an option for up to 20
years.
Letters to the editor
Make shelter happen Looking forward to season
To the editor:
I’ve personally observed here in
Polk County, domestic animals left
out in high winds and freezing cold
temperatures with no place to es-
cape the elements for an entire sea-
son; and I’ve observed them tied on
short chains in unshaded yards dur-
ing the long summer heat and hu-
midity, with no feed OR water, for
days at a time, and I’ve come to
their rescue when I’ve discovered
such conditions completely by ac-
cident when perhaps just out walk-
ing-
(One such case was an LHS
coach's helpless, sweet-natured
little Beagle, and 1 would sneak
into his yard in the middle of the
night to feed and water him every
24 hours to keep him from dying!)
But I had to leave the area and so
informed the authorities of this sad,
sick situation, but the owner was
not punished and instead took the
helpless little creature and moved
away so he couldn't be observed!
I’ve also seen farm animals
thrown from high elevations into
trailers to be taken to market; And
I've observed the junior rodeo using
the same baby sheep over and over
to throw down onto the arena's hard
ground, tied up, and I've watched it
let loose and try to get up only to
fall down again and again after
repeated "ties and throws" and be
stood up to waver glassy-eyed -
completely disoriented and not
knowing what to do...only to be
taken back so that the same thing
could happen to the SAME animal
again and again!
(Is there only ONE lamb in our
country? What does this tell our
children and young people — espe-
cially those involved in this rodeo?
What kind of example does this
set?)
And the Enterprise has reported
that Judge John Thompson made a
statement in a public county meet-
ing after the Animal Shelter had
been closed, in answer to a con-
cerned inquiry as to the status of
our closed shelter and when it'd be
opened again... saying that it was "a
very low priority"!
What are HIS priorities as a pro-
fessing Christian?
There are many VERY affluent
families in this community. When
| will we see ANY of these citizens
step forward to alleviate this situa-
tion?
Or even see donation-boxes at
discount stores, pharma-
cies, or why not the city hall and
courthouse lobbies, placed by these
or concerned individu-
tf I had been in Polk County
K the closing of the shelter, I’d
a special fund *dver-
by the Polk
public ser-
with a box number where
lions could be mailed in, or
dronned off at the newsDancr'1
I » r r t__
:
The animal angel of our commu-
nity is Nadine Farmer, who with
NO financial assistance has been
taking in homeless, hopeless ani-
mals for much of her life, with no
recognition or fanfare or help, and
without whom we probably would
NEVER have had an animal shelter
here in the first place if not for her
untiring efforts, and up against the
odds!
Due to that shelter not having
ANY competent staff and not re-
quiring vaccinations against deadly
diseases before animals were ac-
cepted...or having a proper area to
quarantine unvaccinated animals
until they are known to be disease-
free...or having a city/county indi-
gent fund to defray vaccination
costs...or having an "official" vet to
oversee animal health and shelter
conditions, and to spay animals for
a VERY small fee...infected ani-
mals were mixed with disease-free
and even pedigreed animals whose
homes for them.
My family fell prey to just such a
situation as a result of these abomi-
nable shelter conditions, and we
lost a VERY precious pet within
hours of adoption!
There is NO excuse for this!
All the time I was a child grow-
ing up in Polk County, my family
would see abandoned animals at
the dump, and now that there's no
alternative, animals are once more
being abandoned!
Read this Animal Bill of Rights
and your "good" Christian residents
take it to heart PLEASE for the
sake of our four-footed friends who
well might be our VERY best
friends in the world!
* The right of animals to be free
from exploitation, cruelty, neglect
and abuse.
* The right of farmed animals to
an environment that satisfies their
basic physical and psychological
needs.
* The right of companion ani-
mals to a healthy diet, protective
shelter and adequate medical care.
* The right of wildlife to a natu-
ral habitat, ecologically sufficient
to a normal existence and a self-
sustaining species population.
* The right of animals to have
their interests represented in court
and safeguarded by the law of the
land.
If you'd like to protect and sup-
port our animals, demand it from
our county judge, county commis-
sioners, city council, sheriff and
other law enforcement officials,
and be active and/or GIVE
MONEY to help make a decent
shelter happen tn Polk County.
To the editor:
Reference is made to the “Once
Over Lightly” column of Dec. 25,
2005, and the second column lead-
in of “Some Texas Aggies are puz-
zled and others downright disap-
pointed... A&M wound up hiring
Gary Darnell,” etc. That statement
.is well known.
I won’t dwell on Coach Darnell
because I don’t know that much
about him and I’m certain the
sports editor doesn’t either, save
what he has gleaned from other
sources that appear in his column.
The statement that "wondering
why Franchione couldn’t have done
better in a high profile situation like
A&M” lacks understanding of the
situation. The first and leading in-
terview was with Gary Gibbs of the
Dallas Cowboys, former head
coach at Oklahoma University.
That got clfoe. But the budget for a
defensive coordinator was set at a
figure reputed to be about $330,000
a year, basically what coach Carl
Torbush was making. It is believed
that it was a done deal except that it
was rumored that Gibbs wanted an
estimated $450,000. I have seen it
reported that he makes about
$300,000 with the Cowboys. And
highly regarded coordinators do
swim out to climb aboard sinking
ships if the price is right, especially
in view of the fact that Bill Parcells
may not be at Dallas next year and
Gibbs might be looking for a job.
None of that matters now because
Athletic Director Bill Byrne had
allocated an amount for which a
week later Coach Darnell was
hired.
High profile coaches do not al-
ways turn out the best results.
Coach Torbush as defensive coor-
dinator developed several All-Pro
ball players and had defenses that
ranked in the top five in the nation.
That was at North Carolina... and,
oh yes, the head coach was Mack
Brown. He succeeded Coach
Brown for a couple of years and
was replaced. When Coach Fran-
chione went to Alabama U he hired
him at a time when he was consid-
ered one of the best college DC’s in
the country. In the second year at
Alabama his defense was ranked
number two in the nation and Ala-
bama was in the top 10.
There are a number of reasons
for the lack of success at A&M.
Foremost was the fact that when
Brown went to Austin he began
recruiting national top-10 classes
from high school. The cupboard
was a bit bare at A&M when Coach
Franchione arrived. Recruiting has
been good. But in 2005 alone 14
starters were either removed from
the squad or had season-ending
injuries. Two significant losses
include high school All-American
Jorie Adams from Jasper and Eric
Mayes, cornerback, for reasons that
I will not disclose.
The statement that Coach Fran-
cione is viewed as a "lame duck" is
all hut completely without merit.
His contract with rollovers, an ex-
tension and an increase in pay a
couple of years ago is approxi-
mately $2 million a year. It is not
possible for the university to buy
him out. That has to be done
through negotiation and finally by
former students coughing up some
$ 12 million. Not likely to happen.
When Coach Franchione came to
A&M one of his first forecasts was
that because of the strength of the
Big XII Conference and the talent
pool residual that he inherited that
it would likely be the fourth year
before Texas A&M would be in a
highly competitive position. Now
the fourth year is at hand and I for
one believe that it will be an excel-
lent year. There have been some
changes made and there will be
positive results.
I look forward to the football
season of 2006.
Jim Carrell, ‘57
Corrigan
POLK COUNTY
ENTERPRISE
ALVIN HOLLEY, PUBLISHER
Telephone Number 936-327-4357
WEBSITE/wwvLEast'i«^News.Com
E-MAIL: polknews@livtngston.net
Texas 77351 under the Act of Congress of March 3,1987. Entered as Periodical
Matter at the Post Office at Livingston. TX.
KTHTOBIAI nFPABTMENT
Barbara Whila............. ...Editor............................................ Ext. 102
Emily Banks..................................News Editor ....................................................Ext. 103
VanThomas ..................................Sports Editor..............................................— Ext. 107
Ore* Peak.....................................Area News Editor..................... Ext. 106
Vicki Coker................ Living Section Editor...................... Ext. 104
Vanesa Brashier.............................Special Feature Editor...........................-..........Ext. 111
Gordon LeBarron
Sincerely concerned..
Lee Ashly
Well*, Maine
(^fionj'CT^^^n^olurnns are those of the writer and not neccetsarily those of this
^^^^^^rlrrdfcl^f^t^^^d^/Liv^agSon.*TX. Please Send Address Changes
Pit1!
KANSAS CITY, MO. - Live-
stock Marketing Association’s
(LMA) Market Relief Fund has
distributed over $ 110,000 to pro-
ducers and markets hurt by Hurri-
canes Katrina and Rita.
Among those receiving relief
funds is Livingston Livestock Ex-
change, ‘which received a $2,695
reimbursement.
The fund was created with
$30,000 in LMA “seed money” in
August, immediately after Hurri-
cane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast.
Contributors have included LMA
member markets and their custom-
ers. LMA CEO Mark Mackey ex-
pressed LMA’s special thanks to
the Texas Cattle Feeders Associa-
tion (TCFA) for contributions total-
ing $66,877. TCFA worked with
markets in Texas and Oklahoma,
which held special fundraising
sales, as did several markets across
the country. So far, the fund has
collected $ 118,586.
Markets in the affected areas
provided producers with needed
supplies of all kinds, from fence
posts to livestock feed. Several
markets also went to producers in
their area, transporting livestock to
safety or to market.
Markets were reimbursed by the
fund for the materials they distrib-
uted, along with livestock transpor-
tation costs.
The markets’ receipted expenses
were audited by LMA, TCFA and
the state LMAs in Texas and Lou-
isiana.
Make 2006 happy
Dear Readers: Happy 2006!
We hope this year is the best ever
for each and every one of you.
Here’s a poem by Robert B. Beattie
that expresses some lovely senti-
ments. We hope you will enjoy it:
A Way to a Happy
New Year
To leave the old with a burst of
song;
To recall the right and forgive
the wrong;
To forget the things that bind
you fast
To the vain regrets of the year
that’s past;
To have the strength to let go
your hold
Of the not worthwhile of the
days grown old;
To dare go forth with a purpose
true,
To the unknown task of the year
that’s new;
To help your brother along the
road,
To do his work and lift his load;
To add your gift to the world’s
good cheer,
Is to have and to give a Happy •
New Year.
Dear Annie: I was gambling at
casinos and broke all, of the time.
I’d had enough of giving my
money to the slot machines, so a
year ago, I took advantage of my
state’s voluntary exclusion law.
You can sign up, and casinos will
bar you from gambling.
I went to a casino in another
town where my friends would not
see me sign up. 1 also went to the
adjacent state and did it again to be
doubly certain. Now, if I go to any
casino in these two states, or any
casino in any state owned by or
affiliated with any company in
these states, I can be arrested for
trespassing. If I should manage to
sneak in, any winnings will be con-
fiscated and donated to charity.
I now have $6,000 saved up in
the bank and am enjoying life
again. I cannot tell you the relief I
feel now that I am free. I no longer
want to gamble, and I cannot be
tempted anymore. Anyone who
thinks gambling isn’t addictive
should watch people playing two or
three slot machines at a time - as if
you cannot lose it fast enough on
one machine.
If a person is not willing to sign
up. It means they are not willing to
stop. — Found a Way Out.
Dear Found A Way: Good for
you. Many casinos offer voluntary
exclusion forms online and in per-
son, and they also are available
through your stale gaming commis-
sion. Any gambler looking for a
New Year’s resolution today
should consider this option, and, of
course, Gamblers Anonymous.
(gamblersanonymous.org).
Dear Annie: I’d like to re-
spond to “Odd Woman Out." She
is dating a divorced Jewish man
who still attends holiday services
with his ex-wife and daughter.
My husband also has an ex-wife
and two children, our solution?
She and I ended up calling each
other “wife-in-law.” We celebrate
holidays together, taking turns go-
ing to each other’s houses. The
kids never had to choose who to be
with for birthdays, Chanukah, etc.
She and one of their sons were at-
tendants at our wedding.
We went to her wedding when
she remarried. I write to her
mother and other relatives, and she
is friends with mine.
Whenever there are children in-
volved, it is foolish of women to
think they are “starting new” with a
man. They should think, instead,
that they are extending their family.
Every effort should be made to
Annie’s
Mailbox
By KATHY MITCHELL
and
MARCYSUGAR
incorporate the ex into your life in
a positive way. After all, with kids
in the picture, she’s going to be part
of your life anyway. Why not
make it a good part?
When I first met my wife-in-
law, I asked her to stay for tea. We
all ended up going to Friday night
services together. That was 16
years ago, and now I can’t imagine
my life without her. -- Wife-ln-
Law in Omaha, Neb.
Dear Omaha: You certainly
sound like a bunch of unusual peo-
ple, with tremendous generosity of
spirit. Thanks for writing.
Annie's Mailbox is written by
Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar,
longtime editors of the Ann
Tartders coliihin. Flease e-mail
your questions to
anniesmailbox@comcast.net, or
write to: Annie's Mailbox, P.O.
Box 118190, Chicago, IL 60611.
COPYRIGHT 2006 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
SCHOOL
MENUS
LIVINGSTON SCHOOLS
Monday, Jan. 2
Staff development.
Tuesday, Jan. 3
Sta ff development.
Wednesday, Jan. 4
Workday.
Thursday, Jan. 5
Chicken quesadillas, carrot/celery sticks
with dip, fresh fruit cup, milk.
Friday, Jan. 6
Hamburger or cheeseburger on bun with
burger salad or vegetable beef soup with
crackers, fries, applesauce cup, milk.
ONALASKA SCHOOLS
Monday, Jan. 2
Student holiday.
Tuesday, Jan. 3
Student holiday.
Wednesday, Jan. 4
Cheeseburger, salad, pickle, fruit, milk
Thursday, Jan. 5
BBQ beef sandwich, pickle, baked beans,
fruit, milk.
Friday, Jan. 6
Pizza, com. Fruit, milk.
GOODRICH SCHOOLS
Jan. 2-6
Holiday.
LEGGETT SCHOOLS
Not available.
BIC SANDY SCHOOLS
Monday, Jan. 2
Holiday.
Tuesday, Jan. 3
Chicken quesadillas, pinlo beans, Span-
ish rice, fruit, milk.
Wednesday, Jan. 4
Frilo pic, corn, pickle spears, fruit,
cookie, milk.
Thursday, Jan. 5
Chicken-fried steak, potatoes, gravy, com
on the cob, fruit, milk.
Friday, Jan. 6
Hamburger, salad, tater tots, ice cream,
fruit, milk
CORRIGAN-CAMDEN SCHOOLS
Monday, Jan. 2
Holiday.
T uesday, Jan. 3
Beef stew, blackeyed peas, mixed fruit,
combread, milk
Wednesday, Jaa. 4
Chicken-fried sieak, creamed potatoes
with gravy, English peas, hot rolls, peaches,
milk.
Thursday, Jan. 5
McRibs, baked beans, white bread, po-
tato salad, pineapple tidbits, milk.
Friday, Jaa. 6
C heeseburger, green salad, ice cream,
fries, milk
CHESTER SCHOOLS
Not available
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 124, No. 1, Ed. 1 Sunday, January 1, 2006, newspaper, January 1, 2006; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth787922/m1/4/?q=music: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.